Dead Men Walking
by Emmawaffle
Summary: Zombie future!AU. Kuroko Tetsuya is a scavenger on the brink of losing hope in a zombie infested city with no escape. It takes the discovery of a fellow survivor, Kagami Taiga, to revive his desire to survive and make it to the supposed safe haven that awaits them.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** A friend of mine asked me to write a zombie AU and even though I said _"hell no im not gonna write kurobas fanfic im gonna ruin it omfggg"_ I ended up writing everything out and it was too late to turn back. It takes a special kind of fandom for me to have the guts to do this ahaha. Please feel free to critique and give me feedback because I have no idea what I'm doing.

There may be implied KagaKuro but honestly, I'm so horrid at this that I don't know if that's what's gonna come out of it or not. Thank you very much orz

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket is a product of Fujimaki Tadatoshi and does not belong to me (but i sure wish it did).

* * *

It had to have been at least two or three months of living hell. It was easy to lose track of time when one had to walk through the ruins of what was once a huge thriving city, while avoiding the shambling carnivorous creatures that were once its inhabitants. Even at this point, most survivors had found their way out of the city. All except one.

Kuroko Tetsuya had lived like a scavenger for what had to have been two months. He still kept track of the days, but it was rarely one of his top priorities anymore. It was around the time when the first panic was starting to die out and the humans who remained were more focused on surviving and finding a way out. Those who managed to survive the first month were already far and wide, scavenging for supplies and trying to find shelter. It became increasingly hard to find someone who was alive at this point. Kuroko himself hadn't seen anyone friendly in a long time. It was hard to distinguish who was friendly and who would shoot you on the spot for your backpack. He kept to himself and watched from a distance. He had always been pretty good observing others, and he usually had a good idea of whether he was watching a bandit or some down on-their-luck survivor. Kuroko always had a good vantage point of the streets too, so he would watch from above with his binoculars.

Never had he actually gone down from his spot and helped someone before. He observed. He waited. He never moved, and they never noticed the head of blue hair that stood out from some broken window four stories above them.

He had always had a weak presence though. People barely noticed him. Most of them didn't even realise he was there. He was used to it, but it wasn't the same when most of the population had become flesh-eating creatures. What he once thought of as an inconvenient trait had now become the one thing that prevented him from getting torn apart. Even the infected couldn't seem to sense him. Kuroko tried to figure out the limits to this once. Only once, considering how he almost got killed in the process. It turned out that if he was careful enough, he wouldn't be detected until he was about two or three meters away from the infected… like right this instant.

This was one of the most unnerving things about traveling through the city. The streets were usually packed with zombies and they only started to segregate once the sun was down. Kuroko hadn't quite timed this properly, and he found himself stuck in an alleyway behind some trash bins. There were too many zombies for him to just sneak past. The street he was on wasn't very wide though, and it was a distance that he knew he could sprint without too much trouble. Granted, there was the risk of attracting the horde, but that was something he didn't really want to think about.

He had to get from point A to point B without getting grabbed and eaten. The usual routine. Having been crouched behind the trash bins, he slowly stood up and got ready to run. The plan was to rush into the next alleyway and look for a way into one of the apartments. He could see the fire escape from where he was, so he would have to grab the ladder and then climb his way into one of the higher floors. He would then have less than a minute to pull up the ladder before one of the infected got a hold of it.

At least, that's what should have happened if Kuroko hadn't accidentally knocked the trash bin over in the process.

This was the worst case scenario.

There were ten zombies in his field of vision, and each one of them was looking at him.

The sight of their rotten and grotesque figures stumbling towards him gave him the boost of adrenaline he needed to get out of there. Kuroko had no choice but to turn back. He darted back into the alleyway and tried his best to maneuver around the corners. It didn't stop him from nearly collapsing on top a pile of trash. Several zombies were already approaching his location. He could hear their raspy moans get louder as they got closer. There wasn't enough time to stand around and plan a strategy. He had to head back to his last haven and stay low until the horde cleared again. Kuroko clumsily got back on his feet and switched to jogging once he found the fire exit he was looking for. The blue haired man remembered a time when he struggled to keep up with gym classes and sports practices. Along with his weak presence, he had a small build and very bad stamina. He rarely ever mentioned it but it used to bother him. Sure, he steadily improved, but even he had to admit that the whole zombie doomsday fiasco had helped him get back into working out. Assuming working out was in the form of running for your life and jumping around everywhere.

The young man pulled down the fire escape ladder and started to climb. His heart was beating against his chest at a rapid pace. Even with his gloves on, he could feel his hands starting to get clammy. Close calls with zombies were the absolute worst. He almost froze up as he got to the first patio and saw the horde come in around the corner. He pulled up the ladder so they couldn't reach it and proceeded to climb the stairs back to the third floor of the building. Kuroko was pretty sure he had left the window open, in case of emergencies.

This was very much an emergency.

Kuroko sighed with relief when he spotted the open window, and slowly climbed in. It was dark, but no longer quiet now that he had attracted the horde into the alley. He closed the window behind him and took a quick glance around the place. The third floor of the grimy apartment building was clear of zombies. Someone had taken the effort to block the door to the stairs with a large dresser, and a small makeshift barricade made of various chairs and tables surrounded the elevator. It was no longer functioning though, judging from the lack of blinking lights. There was barely any sign of the previous occupants, but Kuroko was still grateful that some poor soul out there had taken the time to take care of all the safety precautions. He knew that most of the apartments were open, since he checked when he first got in. The one to his left was securely locked though, and a broken generator was placed against it. An extra precaution. With the place smelling like death, there were a few guesses about where that smell was coming from. He left it alone and quietly maneuvered through the hallway until he reached the apartment that he claimed for himself.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most rundown places he found himself holed up in. The apartment building itself was an improvement from the convenience store roof he had been stuck on a few days ago, so he couldn't be picky. All the windows were broken, and none of the appliances were working anymore. Anything that contained batteries stopped functioning ages ago. Kuroko had already picked the place clean, so he wasn't too fond of being forced to stay there longer.

He didn't hesitate to drop his bag on the pile of discarded furniture in the living room and lean against the wall near one of the windows. He slid down until he was in a comfortable sitting position, and placed his head on his knees. Kuroko covered his ears and shut his eyes closed. Breath in from the nose. Breath out from the mouth. Deep breaths. He let his hands down once the adrenaline died down and his heart began to beat at its regular pace. That was too close of a call, but everything was okay now.

He couldn't do this for much longer.

With that in mind, he couldn't stop himself from drifting to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm actually really surprised by the response I got! It might not seem like a lot at first glance but I really cherish any review/favourite/follow I get. It basically means "oh hey someone read your fic and they thought it was good" and that's just super amazing idk ahaha orz but yeah, school has been hectic and it also takes a certain atmosphere/mood for me to get into writing this so I apologize for the slow updating (because it's probably not going to improve...)

I've decided at the moment to keep this as a general fic until I know where I'm going with this

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket is a product of Fujimaki Tadatoshi and does not belong to me.

* * *

Nobody knew what they were. Infected human beings. The undead. Zombies. Whatever they were, one thing was for sure. They were a shell of their former self and they fed on human flesh. They did not discriminate. They did not speak. Just like the typical horror movie monster, except this was no movie. This was real life. Everything had happened so fast that there was barely any time to figure out what was going on and how to deal with it. Entire cities were being consumed at a rapid pace. People desperately trying to escape, unknowingly mixed with those who were already turning. It was complete and utter chaos.

The first thing Kuroko noticed when he woke up was the lack of sunlight. It was barely sunny anymore, and he couldn't tell if it was a somber morning or just a regular afternoon. He guessed that it was already the next day though. Not wanting to waste it, he got up and looked down on the streets. The horde was gone, except for one lone zombie missing both its legs. It was dragging itself around, albeit very slowly. The ones with the missing legs were a lot slower than a regular zombie, but the sight of one approaching was a lot more horrific. Kuroko shuddered at the thought before lifting up his binoculars to take a closer look at the rest of the street.

Post-apocalyptica was about as eerie as anyone could imagine. It wasn't exactly quiet once the hordes found something to tear into but otherwise, the silence could drive anybody nuts., It was barely safe to travel through too. There were less zombies during the night but the lack of light made it dangerous to travel. Likewise, there were a lot more zombies running around once the sun was up. It was only recently that the cities were becoming less packed and the infected were spreading into the countryside. Sooner or later, it would be easier to get through the city. This was one of those instances where it would be easy to walk through the streets. The bluenette hesitated as he put down his binoculars. It looked like it was the best time to cover some distance, but it might not be a good idea to do so without having eaten.

The collapse of civilisation did horrid things to people's appetites. Who could even think about eating after having watched zombies devouring people? The way they bit into the flesh and ripped the meat clean off the bone with their teeth. How they grabbed out the entrails while their 'meal' was still alive and screaming. Just recalling the things he saw during the past few months made him feel sick.

Kuroko took out a bag of vanilla flavoured hard candies and stuffed a handful into one of his jacket pockets. It would have to make do for now, at least until he got his appetite back. He unwrapped one of the candies and popped one in his mouth. The sweet flavour calmed him down. There was a time when he pretty much lived off vanilla milkshakes. Years before the whole end-of-mankind scenario. Back when he was some transparent teenager trying to make sense of his life. That time was long gone and it was not going to come back, but the candies were a nice source of nostalgia.

After securing his backpack, Kuroko put on his surgical mask and goggles. It wouldn't be possible for him to travel far without having to take down a zombie or two. Since he lacked a long range weapon, he had to take extra precautions to prevent getting accidentally infected. A lot of information wasn't clear during the first wave, but the aftermath provided the hard facts. There were all sorts of attempts from survivors trying to spread the truth. Hastily written notes plastered walls alongside graffitied danger warnings. Weak signals from makeshift radio stations trying to share what they knew. Most of them listed the same thing.

It was some sort of virus. It killed people and reanimated them. It transmitted via body fluids like blood and saliva. There was no cure.

Kuroko had to improvise his gear from then on. It would have been a waste of all his efforts if he got infected over accidental exposure to zombie blood.

He took one last look at the apartment before heading out again.

* * *

It was still relatively light out by the time the bluenette climbed down the fire escape ladder into the alleyway. He immediately reached behind him and pulled out his crowbar. It was the only decent weapon he had on him.

If anyone asked Kuroko how he managed to get by for so long, he would say that adaption was key. Learn what you can. Use it to your advantage. Don't engage unless necessary, and sometimes it was necessary, but not everybody was cut out for zombie killing. A whack to the head with a heavy object doesn't always cut it if you lack the strength to do any damage. Kuroko found that out the hard way, so he was thankful that he could at least sneak around the hordes. Yesterday's fiasco was a complete mess though. He was starting to lose it.

Regardless, a weapon was still a necessity. Adrenaline was a saving grace too, as demonstrated from yesterday.

Kuroko made his way out of the alleyway onto the streets. It was a completely different direction from what he had planned out last time, but he couldn't squander an opportunity like this. The reason why he hadn't managed to get out of the city in the first place was because of the number of detours he was forced to take. At this rate, there would be no getting out of here anytime soon.

There were still no signs of a horde, but the legless zombie was still around. He could see the trail of blood around an abandoned car, and it only took a minute before he could see something move from behind it.

Weighing the crowbar in his hand, he watched as the legless zombie dragged itself from behind the car and to the other side of the road. It hadn't noticed his presence yet. A quick hit on the car with his crowbar got its attention though. It was slow, but its grotesque appearance still caused his blood to freeze. Its face was partially eaten and decomposing. It was a good thing he hadn't eaten anything earlier.

Kuroko didn't move from his spot, but continued to look around. If he crossed the street, he could get by it without having to deal with it anymore. It was beginning to drag itself in his direction, so he had more than enough time to cross over and head out. From there, he would have to go straight until he found a street map and then decide how to head to his desired location. It was a lot more effort than it was worth. A gargled moan disrupted his planning and he looked at the source. The zombie was considerably closer than before. It was probably a good idea to start moving.

However, something in his mind told him to deal with the thing properly. After a quick minute of hesitation as the zombie started to reach out, Kuroko tightened his grip on his crowbar and swung at the zombie's head. The zombie swayed and let out another groan. It wasn't down yet. It tried to lift itself up again. A thick, dark liquid that was too strange to be called blood began to seep out of its head.

_Gross_, he thought. He prepared to swing again, although he could feel that he was at his limit already. Kuroko gathered all of his strength and hit the zombie again. He winced at the sickening sound of a crack as the zombie's head started to rip off its body. One more whack did the trick, and its head rolled off. Its body convulsed a bit before going limp.

The thought that that thing could have been him during the first wave, or that it _would_ be him sometime in the future, passed through his mind before he stepped over its body and left.

* * *

Kuroko was used to walking through the debris. He knew to check for zombies whenever he encountered large blockades of cars, for example. It was risky, but if he couldn't spot anything, he usually tapped the cars with his crowbar and looked for movement. There were situations which required him to climb over these blockades. It was safer to do so rather than crawl around or squeeze through whatever spaces weren't blocked. Granted, climbing over wrecked vehicles wasn't exactly safe either. Much like right now.

Normally, the bluenette was slow and careful. He wasn't exactly the most agile person, let alone the strongest.

However, no amount of caution was enough to prevent him from slipping.

Before he realised it, he had already landed on the ground with a thunk. Pain shot through his back and he let out a groan. Sure, it hadn't been a steep fall and he had his backpack to cushion the impact, but it still hurt. He laid on the ground like a turtle on its shell. His eyes were still closed as he waited for the pain to subside. Deep breaths. When he finally opened them, he was staring at a greying sky.

It would have been nice to just lie there for a few hours. The odd silence and and clear sky were strangely comforting.

But his body moved on instinct. Kuroko turned over and lifted himself off the ground. He continued to climb on top of the car. Making sure that he had stable footing along the way, he eventually reached the roof of the smashed up car. The street beyond him was just as empty. The bluenette carefully walked and hopped over from car roof to car roof, only occasionally pausing to listen for any zombies he might have missed. By the time he reached the last car, he already felt a lot better about his situation. His back didn't hurt as much and there didn't seem to be anything wanting to eat him nearby. Sooner or later, his luck was going to run out. Kuroko hopped down from the last car roof and brushed himself off.

A ten minute walk led him to a wider street. It wasn't exactly the city centre that he had been hoping to reach though. He was still in the heart of downtown, but maneuvering around was becoming a lot easier. It was a crossroad surrounded by ruins of apartment buildings, high-end retail stores, and skyscrapers. The streets were littered with trash and broken glass, as well as abandoned vehicles. It almost looked as though everyone had just disappeared without a trace and the city was starting to age. However, the bloodstains on the ground and the bloody handprints inside some of the cars gave away the cause. Kuroko tried not to focus on those particular details.

In the distance, he could hear a security alarm. It was probably why the whole area seemed devoid of undead creatures.

Looking around, he spotted a street map ahead of him and rushed over. His main priority was to find out exactly where he was. Sighing with relief as he noticed how the map was still eligible, minus the dried bloodstains covering the city attractions list, he looked for his current position.

He put his gloved finger on the large **YOU ARE HERE** star and traced it to his destined location. Even though the young man was beginning to have doubts about it, he heard that there was a guarded area near the western edge of the city. It was a makeshift haven to help transport survivors out of the city. It was probably trashed now, but at the very least, it was still a way out of the city and onto the highways. Unfortunately, just as he feared, he was going backwards again. He made a mental note to look for a proper map on his trip.

He retraced the route again with his finger and tried to memorize the street names, but suddenly stopped. Kuroko could feel his blood run cold when he saw which street he had to head into next.

His luck had run out for the day.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you very much for all of your responses (even views ahaha!) （人´∀`*）

I'm really worried about future dialogue. I mean, I've managed to get away with not having proper dialogue for three chapters (yes, there's no interaction yet) but thank you for being patient! I'm also worried about pace but it'll start to pick up next chapter. I promise! I've already got a few plans regarding what to do with some characters, and I've fleshed out some of the setting so I'm hoping that I can incorporate some more info sometime in the future. I'll be working on this a lot more once vacation comes around, so please look forward to it!

**Disclaimer:** Kuroko no Basket is a product of Fujimaki Tadatoshi and does not belong to me.

* * *

Misdirection was something Kuroko had been stuck with for as long as he could remember. It was a lot more apparent during middle school, but he had already adapted to it at that point. It didn't bother him as much. He wasn't exactly a people person in the first place. He had friends, sure. Few in number but interesting to say the least. He didn't have a terrible childhood or anything either. Although, the bluenette did recall a time when he wished people would notice him for once. Otherwise, he went about his life just dealing with it.

But now he really _was_ glad that his lack of presence was still around. Who would have thought that it also affected the undead?

Kuroko was standing about seven or eight metres away from the gigantic horde of zombies that were scrambling into a small store. The alarm was ringing loudly, and the trickling influx of zombies coming out of alleyways and buildings wasn't slowing down. Yet, he still stood in the middle of the road, unharmed but increasingly nervous as he watched the mob. Not one single zombie had noticed him. If he could keep this up, he would be on his way in the right direction. With the sky getting cloudier, he was also running out of time.

Tightly gripping his crowbar, Kuroko cautiously began to walk near the horde. They covered most of the street despite the number of them entering the store. He wondered if somebody slipped in and accidentally set off the alarm, or if a zombie broke through the glass and set it off itself.

No, he didn't have time to think about that.

He walked over to the sidewalk across from the store, which was the area where the zombies were more spread out and trying to join the crowd. The bluenette entered a rhythm of sidestepping and ducking whenever a zombie got too close. Though he was careful with his movements, he still walked fast enough that he disappeared from a zombie's radar once one spotted him. It was immensely nerve-wracking, but months of doing this had made it easier on Kuroko.

Out of all the routes he had to take, he could not believe that he was stuck with the zombie-infested one. At least he knew why the surrounding areas had suddenly become empty. He wasn't even aware that the alarms were still functioning at this point. Most of the city's electricity had gone out by now. Running water was getting just as scarce. Another few reasons why Kuroko had to move on as fast as he could.

After what felt like an hour (it had to have been ten or fifteen minutes), he managed to walk through the sea of zombies without getting attacked. A few close calls, yeah, but his limbs were intact. He didn't want to stay any longer than he had to, but he still took another look behind him. The alarm still hadn't stopped. The undead were barely moving anymore. The influx had stopped. Had he waited, it might have been easier to move around now that they weren't grabbing at anything anymore.

What's done is done, so they say. Kuroko readjusted his head gear and kept walking.

For a moment, he thought he could hear a scream from the second floor of the store. With the alarm blaring so loudly, he reluctantly dismissed it as a trick of the mind.

* * *

It was getting too dark.

It didn't take long for the bluenette to head into the nearest shop. He lifted his flashlight to the window and inspected the inside first. It appeared to be empty. Some of the clothes were stained with something, probably blood. He couldn't spot any movement from inside though. The windows weren't broken either, so it didn't look as though any zombies could have gotten in. Whatever was in that store was probably still in there.

He made note of the retracted security gate on either side of the store front. Whoever worked here hadn't had time to bring it down like some of the other stores on the street. He was glad, because it would probably help him sleep easier at night. It was a good countermeasure to keep the undead away.

With that in mind, Kuroko headed in. He had to check out the place before closing the gate. Otherwise, he was trapping himself in.

It was hard to hold a crowbar and a flashlight at the same time. A crowbar needed both hands for an efficient hit. However, there was nothing that could hold the flashlight at the same time. In the worst case scenario, he would either have to drop the crowbar and find something else, or drop the flashlight and take his chances.

The best case scenario was to avoid a confrontation in general.

He tapped the cashier counter with his crowbar. The sound echoed in the shop, but nothing looked out of the ordinary.

"Hello?"

Nothing. His own voice sounded foreign to him. It reminded him of the fact that he hadn't spoken aloud for a really long time. Was he always that quiet?

He called out a little louder this time, but nothing changed. Opting for the thorough but slightly dangerous plan, Kuroko inspected the whole shop. It was a small clothing store consisting of several clothing stands and mannequins. The faceless figures looked creepy in the dark, and even worse when he shined his flashlight on it. Looking down, he could see bloodstains on the floor. He bent down and scrapped the stains with his crowbar. The stains had already dried. It was hard to say how old they might have been. Walking over to the left, he approached the cashier counter. Nothing was out-of-place. The cash registers remained untouched. The little boxes of various makeup products and rings were still pristine in their appearance. He pointed his flashlight behind the counter, but didn't dare to walk over there just yet. The floor was clean of blood in that area. No signs of a hiding zombie. Kuroko reluctantly walked around to get a closer look. It was clean.

Convinced of the area's safety, he dropped his bag behind the counter. Kuroko didn't like to take refuge in stores. It was too risky, and he already felt uncomfortable just being on the first floor anyway.

He passed by what he thought was the door leading to a backroom, and decided to leave it for last. There were three stalls on the right of the store that were used as the dressing rooms. He peered behind each of the curtains. Clean and zombie-free. The bluenette went on to check the rest of the store. Not a single zombie was waiting to jump out at him. Whatever had left the bloodstains was no longer there.

Having left the door in the back last, he took a deep breath and entered inside. It was almost pitch black, but his flashlight allowed him to spot the various open boxes and chairs lying around. It looked like a resting area for employees, except half of it also contained the store's merchandise. Kuroko shined his flashlight towards the corner of the room. There was another door. It looked sturdier, so he guessed that it led to the back streets behind the store. He confirmed it when he carefully opened the door to take a peek.

As he peered out, he spotted something crouching near the dumpster. Pointing his flashlight neat the figure, he could distinguish a human being in a tattered business suit.

Looking closely, the guy was actually crouching over something.

Or someone.

As soon as the figure stopped moving and turned towards him, Kuroko panicked and let go of the door. He let it close by itself, and it produced a loud thunk sound before clicking closed. The alleyway was off-limits. He rushed to push one of the tables against the door. Zombies couldn't open doors, but one could never be too careful. Just as he pushed the table, he heard something hit the door. Kuroko jumped back.

It sounded like someone was walking into the door. The zombie was trying to get in.

He didn't want to take any chances. He left the backroom and started to throw over stands of clothing in front of it. Assuming that thing could even get in, it would have to deal with a giant pile of clothing. He could still hear the banging from where he was. It only went on for a few minutes though. A sense of relief washed over him then. Maybe it moved on.

Regardless, he was safe where he was.

* * *

Kuroko was sitting down behind the cashier counter and leaning against the wall. One hand was fiddling with the battery-powered radio he had taken out and placed onto his lap. The other was rummaging around for a napkin in his bag.

"Emergency broadcast..."

A little bit more fiddling got it. Even with the amount of white noise and disturbance, he could still make out the broadcast. He put down the radio just as he found his packet of tissues.

"... emergency broadcast. This is not a test. Officials in cooperation with the civil authorities of Teiko District have issued the following emergency bulletin. All uninfected civilians are strongly urged to proceed to the rescue stations at these locations. You will not be safe within the infected areas. Civilians exhibiting signs of infection will be quarantined and contained on sight. Martial law had been declared. This message will be repeated indefinitely."

_It's still the same message_, he thought. Kuroko turned off the radio and put it back in his bag.

It was the only signal he could get from his location. A month back, Kuroko remembered a weak signal from a smaller radio station outside of the city. A group of survivors from a different district were filling in the missing bits of information that the emergency broadcast didn't bother to share. Essentially, how people were getting infected and what to do when encountering a zombie.

"You can immobilise it by breaking its legs but ideally, aim for the head!"

He could still vividly remember their broadcast. Kuroko wouldn't have made it this far otherwise. Sure, there were a number of things he noticed during his outings. Zombies were reduced to basic motor skills. They couldn't climb (unless they were piling on top of each other) or open doors. They made weird gurgling sounds and moans as a way to alert others in the area. A large enough mob of zombies could break through any barricade.

But not everything could be easily deduced from mere observation. What sort of equipment to keep on. Items to scavenge for that would be useful in the long-run. Effective makeshift weapons.

Kuroko reached into his bag to take out some food. Canned ravioli. It wasn't exactly gourmet but he knew he couldn't keep running on vanilla candies. He took out a can opener and a plastic fork, and began his meal.

Cold canned ravioli was gross. He had forgotten his dislike for it and couldn't help but grimace once he had a spoonful of it in his mouth. He made note to grab one of his candies from his jacket so he could get rid of the aftertaste later.

* * *

The sound of a metal gate clanging startled Kuroko out of his sleep. He wasn't even sure when he dozed off. A quick glance around revealed that everything had been put away but he couldn't recall when he did it. He must have been a lot more tired than he thought he was.

However, there were more important matters to deal with.

The bluenette got on his knees and peeked over the counter. It was getting light outside. Probably early morning. From his location, he couldn't see what was going on very clearly. In fact, everything outside looked blurry. The windows were wet. It must have rained while he was sleeping. Nonetheless, moving a bit allowed him to see that something was rattling the security gate. A zombie? Whatever it was, it had moved on and Kuroko was wide awake now.

It was only when he heard a loud banging from the backroom that he suddenly took action. He put on his surgical mask and goggles. As he rushed out from behind the counter, he grabbed his crowbar next to the cash register. Why he hadn't kept it by his side was beyond him.

There wasn't enough time for him to put his jacket back on. Whatever was trying to get in, Kuroko hoped he could deal with in a t-shirt. Tightly grasping his crowbar, the young man leaned against the wall next to the door and tried to listen in. The banging stopped, but it wasn't enough to let down his guard. Looking back at the store front, he suddenly spotted several figures shambling around.

_The horde must have dispersed already..._

The sound of something toppling over from the other room interrupted his thoughts and caused him to freeze. Something got in. He refocused his attention to the source. He was right. Something in the back room was walking around. Its pace was a bit too quick for a zombie though. _Another survivor?_ The thought occurred to him, and he wasn't sure what to think about it either. The chances that someone would pick the closed down store as a refuge were weak.

However, the slow turning of the doorknob confirmed what he was thinking. Zombies couldn't open doors. Somebody else was in that store with him.

Friendly or not, Kuroko prepared to attack.


End file.
